Four Seasons Vineyard: Baramati,Pune

3.12.2014
Baramati, Maharashtra, India

"The 55 acres of yumminess in bunches of small round purple was in front of me.The car stopped,just to get the glimpse of the castle which was huge.It looked like as if we were in another part of the world,while the working women at the field plucking those juicy nectar was oblivious of our presence.As they continued to do their work,it was a sheer joy which crept in me.Yes! This was the first time,I was visiting a vineyard which had plush purple grapes hanging onto them."

I haven't visited many vineyards,just a one near Bangalore and another in Canada.Both of them had bright green leaves but apparently no real grapes at sight.The last two week has been phenomenal,got to see the amazing sight of coffee blooms at Coorg and the rows of rows of grapes hanging at Four Seasons Baramati,Pune. Grapes like other fruits is seasonal.The harvest season for Grapes is Feb-March.It is then ,when you can see the whole process of ripened Grapes leaving their stem to the barrels where they get fermented,stored and processed.

Either give me more wine or leave me alone @ Four Seasons Vineyard

The Four Seasons vineyard,located in Baramati,around 1.5 hours from Pune Airport is a place where freshness and aroma of wine linger even after you leave.The trails from the vineyard take you to a hike from where you can view deer in the open or even hyena(if you are lucky).Walk in the rows of freshly produced grapes and taste each of them and you would notice,the further you go,the sweeter the grapes get.There's of course the swimming pool area,where the dinner was being served,and where we all were mesmerized to the tune of Sitar being played in the open view of the blinking stars in the sky by the midnight.The rooms gave us a feel of home,in almost a castle.

Such is the ambiance that even if you have nothing to do,you would enjoy being there,sipping the wine all day long,playing with cute dogs or walking down the rows of grapes.Yes,that is what life is,being secluded in one place,where only you and you can hear your own voice of being.

MY VIDEO ON BEHIND THE SCENES: FOUR SEASONS VINEYARDS

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Wine comes in three colors-Red,White and Rose.Generally white wine is made from white grapes,and red and rose wines are made from red grapes.The color of the wine comes from pigments in the grape skin which are leached out during the process of fermentation.The wine making process is similar to all three wine colors.The main difference is that the grape skin are removed before fermentation for white wine.For red wine,the grape juice is fermented with the grape skins as it is from the skins that the wine gets its color.Traditionally rose wine follows the same process as red - except that the grape juice and skins are kept together for shorter period of time.That results in the color "blush".Chardonnay,Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc,Viognier are white wines,while Cabarnet Sauvignon,Merlot,Shiraz and Zinfandel are red wines.

In order to flourish,wines need a balance of warmth and coolness,sunshine and rainfall.Old wine countries have a longer history of growing grapes for wine such as France,Spain,Italy,Portugal whereas New Wine countries like Australia,New Zealand,USA,South Africa and India have shorter history of grape growing and they rely on science than the traditional wine making country.We now know why Baramati near Pune(1.5 hours) is an ideal place for the vineyard - cool winters for the wine to sleep,wet spring for the grapes to grow and ripen evenly and dry,mild autumn for harvesting.

Another thing about wine is that it can either be made from a single grape variety or a combination of grape varieties.In the first case,it is known as varietal wine,in second it is known as blend.There are four levels of sweetness in wine - dry,off dry,medium sweet and sweet.The sweetness levels result from how long the wine has been fermented.If the fermentation process runs to completion,the wine is dry.If stopped by a winemaker prior to completion,the wine will be sweeter.Finally the wine will be sparkling(it has bubbles of Carbon Dioxide in it),'Still'(it doesn't have any bubbles) or it will be fortified(it is a higher alcohol still wine).

Making Wine: 5 Easy Steps

Grapes are harvest and brought to the winery

Grapes are sorted,then crushed or pressed to get juice

The Juice is transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation

After fermentation,the wine is stabilized and filtered and then transferred into barrels for maturation

The wine is finally bottled,labeled and dispatched to the market

Four Seasons Wine and Food Pairing

We had with us chef who had in-depth knowledge on wine pairing.His idea of food pairing was innovative i.e Cuisines from India,and spices and assortments from all over the world.The Indian food goes very well with the wine,so we had our four course spread and we started off the lightest bodied wine to the heaviest to the sweetest to complete our lunch.

We started with Amush Bush or Achari Mathis which was inspired by Mathis,Tea and Pickle.Mathis as you all know is a North Indian snack made out of flavored dough,deep fried with Fenugreek. When you eat the Mathis,it opens your thirst and you feel like drinking something.So that's why it was paired with Sauvignon Blanc.

Sauvignon Blanc is light bodied,and is made from white grape that has aromas of cut grass,citrus gooseberry,capsicum,herbs and passion fruit depending on where it is grown in India.In India,there is even distinct note of Green chili. If.If you smell the wine,you will smell the flavors of Gooseberry.It is a dry wine and pale yellowish as it is fermented in Barrel.It goes best with starter,and less oily,salads and light appetizers.

Next,we tasted the yummy Dahi(Yogurt) Kebab with a topping of Ricotta cheese,Onion tomato salsa,Mint chutney and Californian grapes.In the non-veg,we had Chicken tikka,with Orange graze(orange and honey) and shooter.The shooter was inspired from our very own Aam Panna,but this was made out of Pinapple. It.It was a Pinapple Panna made with Pinapple char-grilled in Tandoor and then mixed with coriander,black salt and sugar.This was paired with Viognier which is medium bodied,and has a rich aroma of perfume and mellons.

Next,we were served the delicious European inspired but our very Indianized Creole Vegetables.This was done in Roomali Roti,Mozzarella Cheese,Tomato Rice,Makhni Sauce and Broccoli.In Non-Veg we were served,Salman with a plate of upma and on the top we have bell pepper,fresh coconut,spagetti n coriander.This was followed by Molee Sauce which is very famous in Kerala.Along with it was Haldi mirch ka Jhinka(prawn) which is originally from West Bengal and Orissa,and they marinate the prawn with turmeric salt pepper red chilli and lemon juice.This was served with Merlot which is a full bodied wine.

The final wrap up was Basil seeds(soaked in water) with Rasmalai and Pistachios.This was teamed with Late Harvest wine which is a boutique wine,and is completed fermented in Barrel.The late harvest wines are made out of grapes when are they are completely,hence it is a boutique sweet wine which pairs amazingly well with deserts.Late Harvest is completely fermented inside a barrel.

Sauvignon blanc is 25% oak,Viognier 50% oak,Merlot 10% oak.

Next day,we had a Fish dish made with Kachampuli (Famous Coorgi Vinegar).We had Dhoodi Halwa too.Any guesses to which wine they were paired with?

With this,my trip to Baramati comes to an end.Do visit the vineyard and let me know if you loved it.That for sure,you will,because when there is good wine and good air,nothing can,well nothing can,go bizarre.

Wow! It was really an interesting post. It really transported me to the vineyard. It is a place I have always wanted to visit. This is is going down in my list of 'must visit'. Hope you have many more wonderful journeys as this in your life.